Israeli occupation forces announced Saturday they had retrieved the body of a Thai national during a military incursion into Rafah, as part of the ongoing and deadly offensive in the southern Gaza Strip. This brings to three the total number of captives' bodies the Israeli army says it has recovered in recent days, as operations intensify across the besieged enclave.
According to Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, the body of 36-year-old agricultural worker Nattapong Pinta was recovered during ground operations in Rafah.
Israeli authorities claim Pinta was held by the Mujahedeen Brigades, a Palestinian resistance faction. He was reportedly abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023, the day Hamas and other Palestinian groups launched coordinated operations targeting Israeli military outposts and settlements near the Gaza perimeter.
Israel’s military said Pinta was taken alive, but later “killed by his captors”.
Last week, Israeli forces retrieved the bodies of two other hostages, both dual Israeli-American citizens, whom authorities say were killed and then taken to Gaza during Al-Aqsa Flood.
Hamas and the Mujahedeen Brigades did not immediately comment on the minister’s announcement.
According to Israeli army estimates, 58 people are still being held captive in Gaza, including four with US citizenship. The military believes 35 of them have been killed, while the Israeli intelligence service estimates 22 are still alive. The status of two other individuals remains unknown.
The Israeli military resumed its full-scale offensive on Gaza on March 18 after halting a short-lived ceasefire brokered on Jan. 19. The truce was meant to lead to a full exchange of prisoners and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, but the agreement collapsed before the second phase could be implemented.
Since March, efforts led by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States have failed to broker a new ceasefire or finalize an exchange of captives. Despite mounting pressure from international humanitarian agencies and continued diplomatic efforts, Israel refuses to commit to a full ceasefire and continues its campaign to dismantle all forms of Palestinian armed resistance. This objective, critics argue, serves as a pretext for deepening occupation and collective punishment.
